10) The MessiahMy favorite player is none other than the Messiah. Jesus will come back. The Second Coming will take place as a result of the Tribulation. Jesus the Savior will come back to planet Earth. As a matter of fact, when Jesus comes back in the Second Coming He is coming back to bring an end to the Tribulation. When Christ breaks that eastern sky and comes back to earth, He is coming to bring a close and an end to the Tribulation.

I really love the picture of Jesus returning with a sword in His hand, and he has these big biceps on Him. I like that because it shows us that Christ is not this little weak lamb that most think of. He was a conquering lamb, but when Christ comes back He will be coming back as a man of war. It is going to be exciting!

11) The Armies of HeavenAnother player will be the armies of Heaven. I love this player so much because the Scripture literally predicts at the close of the Tribulation that we will come back with Christ. The saints will comprise the armies of Heaven. We are literally coming back with Christ as Jesus comes back to establish His authority on the Earth and to set up His government.

We've got quite a number of players involved in the Tribulation, and it's going to be an exciting time for all involved.

What are the events in the Great Tribulation?

Let's begin by looking at the 21 judgments, and I'm going to hit them really fast. We see they are divided into seven Seal Judgments, seven Trumpet Judgments, and seven Vial or Bowl Judgments. Since we are just going to touch the surface of these events, I would encourage you in your time of study go through these judgments yourselves. These are events that God has so beautifully placed in the Scriptures.

I was talking with one of my colleagues recently about how the Tribulation is a really rough period of time. It is a time like no other. But, Father God did not shy away from telling us about the horrors of that event. God could have said, "Well, I better not put it into my Scripture because people are going to get upset if they read about it." No, God did not shy away from it. Instead, God said, "I am going to show you exactly what I am going to do. If you choose to reject me, this is what you can look forward to."

1) Seal JudgmentsOne very important important aspect of the Seal Judgments of Revelation 6-8 is that Jesus the Savior is the one who opens them from the very first seal. In other words, Saints, the Tribulation period will not begin until Jesus releases the First Seal Judgment. There are seven seals that will be released.

The First Seal releases a rider on a white horse. This rider represents none other than the Antichrist, also called the Man of Sin. The Antichrist cannot be revealed until Jesus Christ has released him into the Tribulation. The Antichrist will come in and again for seven years he will be able to do Satan's bidding on the earth.

The Second Seal releases a red horse with his rider. This rider is carrying a great sword which represents war. Under this Second Seal the Bible says that this red colored horse and his rider's main purpose in the Tribulation will be to take peace from the earth. Many people will die as the result of the judgments that will come during this Second Seal Judgment.

The Third Seal describes a black horse with a rider who has a pair of balances, which represent famine. What is going to happen is because of the wars and destruction that will take place from the beginning of the Tribulation, it's going to cause much famine. We think we know about famine today, but it has been nothing compared to the starvation that is coming. It's going to be an unbelievable amount of judgment by famine that will come upon planet Earth.

Then next seal will be the Fourth Seal, and this Fourth Seal the Bible talks about releases a pale colored horse whose rider is called Death. The Scripture goes on to say that Hell will follow this rider. This judgment is going to bring about much death as a result of the famines and the wars of the Tribulation. After all, it is going to be a time like no other.

Now listen, Saints, this is just the beginning of the Tribulation. As we progress this season gets worse. A quarter of humanity will lose their lives as a result of merely the beginning of the Tribulation.

The judgment of the Fifth Seal will again be released by our Savior. The Apostle John said, "I look in Heaven and I see the souls of them that are under the alter." The Bible talks about how under the Fifth Seal John sees martyrs. These are people who die in the Tribulation, but evidently these people had gotten saved. But, the Bible says because of their testimony, they find themselves killed and now standing before the throne of God. The Scripture tells us that God gives them white robes. They are in Heaven asking God, "How long will it be before you avenge our blood?" The Scripture tells us that God answers them with, "You just hang on for a little while until the rest of your brethren that will die in the Tribulation." God will avenge them. Under the Fifth Seal the saved people who have lost their lives will find themselves in Heaven awaiting the conclusion of the Tribulation events.

When Jesus release the Sixth Seal Judgment, the Bible says there will be cataclysmic events. There will be upheavals in nature. The Bible says that the sky will roll up like a scroll, the sun will become black as sackcloth and the moon will become like blood. God is going to show mankind that He is in control of the elements. This reminds me of what God did during the time of Moses. God messed with the elements. He messed with the nature of Pharaoh's world. Like the Exodus story, God will call hail and fire and elements to come down upon man. God is going to show mankind during the Tribulation season that He in control.

With the last seal — the Seventh Seal — when this seal is released the Bible says that there will be thirty minutes of silence that will come upon the earth. Many scholars have grappled as to what that thirty minutes of silence means. Well, I believe that thirty minutes of silence represents... thirty minutes of silence. God is going to slow it down for thirty minutes, but then afterwards the action is going to pick up again.

2) Trumpet JudgmentsThere will be seven Trumpet Judgments, as recorded in Revelation 8-9 and 11. God will release seven angels who will each blow a trumpet. As each angel blows a trumpet, a different judgment will come upon the earth. I love this so much because this is really powerful what God is going to do.

The First Trumpet will sound and the Bible tells us that hail and fire mingled with blood will come down upon planet Earth. God is going to do this supernatural thing to the Earth.

When the Second Trumpet is blown, as Revelation 8:8-9 records, the Bible talks about a great mountain which will fall from the heavens and turn a third of the sea into blood.

When the Third Trumpet sounds, the Scripture says a star will fall from the heavens. It is called Wormwood and it will cover the rivers and the fountains and will make the water bitter or poisoned. Many men will die from this supernatural judgment which will come to the Earth.

The Fourth Trumpet will sound and as Revelation 8:12 talks about a third of the moon, sun and the stars will become dark. This is fulfilling God's promise to do supernatural things in the heavens. God is going to show mankind that He is in control of the elements.

The Fifth Trumpet can be found in Revelation 9:1-10. In verse 2, John wrote this, "And He opened the boundless pit and there rose smoke out of the pit as a smoke of a great furnace and the sun and the earth were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the pit locusts upon the earth, and unto them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power. And to them was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months, and there torment with torment like a scorpion."

What's happening under the Fifth Trumpet that the angel blows will be a judgment which will release from the bottomless pit locusts. There are many biblical scholars who have said and have actually taught that the locusts will be mechanized weapons. I beg to differ with them because of where these things are coming from. I believe that these will be literal locusts which will come upon planet Earth. The reason I believe that, Saints, is because the Bible says that these locusts are coming from the Bottomless Pit. The Bottomless Pit is one of the compartments of Hades. As matter of fact, during the time of the Millennium, Satan will be bound in the Bottomless Pit. The Bottomless Pit is a literal place in hades, in the underworld, and from that place is where these little tormentors are coming.

The Scripture says that for five months the locusts will be on planet Earth with an assignment to torment mankind. The only people during this time who will not be tormented will be those people who have the mark of God on their forehead. These will be the 144,000 Jewish evangelists. Anybody else in the Tribulation, this judgment could fall upon them.

During this five month window during the Tribulation these locusts are on assignment by God to judge men. The Bible says men during this time will seek death, but death will flee. Jesus will not allow man to die from this judgment. This is a torment that He is going to allow upon the earth for mankind's rebellion. What an amazing prophecy!

When the Sixth Trumpet will sound, the Bible talks about a million man army. God is also going to use this time to judge men.

Finally, the Seventh Trumpet of Revelation 11:15 will sound giving a proclamation that the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord. As God implements these prophecies as they come upon the earth, God is beginning to take more and more control of planet Earth.

3) Mark of the BeastBefore we get to the last Seven Vial or Bowl Judgments, I want to mention one event in the Tribulation that gets a lot of talk today, and that is dealing with the Mark of the Beast.

I am sad to say that many Christians today are 666 paranoid. What I mean by that is, if they get a license plate with the number 666 on it, they take it back to the Department of Motor Vehicles. If they go to the grocery store and their change comes back as $6.66, what do they do? They buy another pack of gum, right? They do something extra because they don't want to fall upon that dreadful number 666. Let me ask you, Saints, have you ever gone to a high-rise apartment complex? Have you ever seen apartment number 666? You won't ever see that apartment because we are 666 paranoid. The number 666 has nothing to do with the Church at all!

The Mark of the Beast will be an event which will come to the earth that is tied to the False Prophet. The Mark of the Beast will be a physical mark given to all who have surrendered their life to the Antichrist. This will take place at the mid-point of the Great Tribulation period. Men and women will not be able to buy or sell unless they have this unique mark on them. During the Tribulation window the Antichrist will literally take control over the economies of the world. He will implement this Mark of the Beast system.

In Revelation 13:16, John wrote, "And he causeth all." The Antichrist is going to allow his False Prophet to do miracles that will deceive many, many people. And it says, "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads." He goes on to say in verse 17, "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. For here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: and it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six or 666."

Now, the Word of God only gives us a little understanding about the number of the Beast which is 666, but we know this will be an event that will be during the Tribulation only. As a matter of fact, the Mark of the Beast is not even instituted until the mid-part of the Tribulation. The Mark of the Beast system will only be enforced for 3 1/2 years. Again, people today are freaking out about 666, but you don't even have to worry about it today because it has not been implemented. It is for the Tribulation, and it only has a 3 1/2 year window in the Tribulation season at that.

I tell you that every man, woman, and even child that submits to the Mark of the Beast will be eternally damned. They will not have any way of repenting from it.

I've been asked the question, "Brother Perkins, do you believe that a person can accidentally take the Mark of the Beast?" The answer is "No!" People won't be able to accidentally take it. It will be tied to their will. Mankind will want to take this Mark of the Beast. But, if they do, they will seal their own doom.

11 comments:

Don said: "...thirty minutes of silence represents... thirty minutes of silence. God is going to slow it down for thirty minutes, but then afterwards the action is going to pick up again."

I hadn't really bothered to ponder that before, but since everything in the Word has significance, it's worth considering now that it has been raised.

I'll preface it 1st with a comment I had posted elsewhere concerning the speed at which we read the Book of Revelation, and then misapply it to the 7yr period:

---Concerning "after the rapture", I recently had the opportunity to read several books of the "Left Behind" series by Tim LaHaye.

I had discounted the series, a number of year ago, as just something to make money, and maybe actually good for those who are actually "Left Behind".

What an "Eye-opener"! What a "different perspective"!!

I had never before considered how easily we read the Book of Revelation, seven FULL years, so tightly compacted, uninterrupted!

One seal opens, and a judgment, dot, dot, dot, and then another seal opens, and another judgment, dot, dot, dot...

Then Trumpet judgments, then Bowl judgments...

Seven FULL Years of what kind of day to day survival for the Tribulation Saints struggling to endure to the End! Who to contact, who to trust, who to work with, who to witness to, and always knowing there is yet still much more to come at the set times!!

I now think it's worth buying, reading, and sending to lost loved ones.---

Don said: "...slow it down... ..afterwards the action is going to pick up again."

I don't exactly buy that, as I think it falls into the condition I mentioned above.

I do now think the "pause" is for a supernatural emphasis on the sound of the 1st Trumpet by possibly causing all natural sound to cease on the planet, much the same way God caused all the tongues of Babylon to be supernaturally confounded. It's possible that everyone will know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with their hearing, yet there is absolutely nothing to hear... ..for THIRTY LONG MINUTES... ..until the that supernatural Trumpet sounds, and they will know it's from God!

I hereby challenge this entire blog to a public debate on...just kidding. I am not Alan K. I come in peace :)

I have a few questions:

By what mechanism did the tribulation saints who are asking Jesus "how much longer" get into Heaven? Were they raptured, too, after their death? On a separate note, that verse makes for quite a strong argument that we are all pre-destined and do not truly have a choice. The "number." 'eh?

What is the difference between fellow servants who will be killed and fellow brethren who will be killed? Aren't they the same thing?

Regarding the number 666, I would assume that the antichrist is not the dumbest being in existence (well, yea, he is, but not in the literal sense), but if he uses 666 as his mark, he is an idiot. Certainly he has to be aware that the Bible --a book he hates-- predicts he'll use this number. Why wouldn't he try to discredit the Bible and use ANY other mark? Certainly God is always in control, but I can't grasp how the antichrist would not want to use a different number. Is there a chance that he will use another mark that humans do not realize means "666" to confuse us, yet meet the prophetic word?

I know that Babylon was "up" to something a long time ago, but so far, no one has come up with a hoist that reaches that far, or a "Star Trek" type transporter platform, so this is one of those 'God-things' that He has perfected on His own.

"...did the tribulation saints who are asking Jesus "how much longer" get into Heaven? Were they raptured, too..."

All kidding aside, no, the Rapture is a unique, 1x event wherein the NT Church-age saints receive their glorified immortal bodies of the same kind like Jesus' resurrected body.

All the departed souls of those who have trusted in the Lord are now in the presence of God since the resurrection of Jesus, but none of them have their immortal bodies yet.

Remember the thief on the cross in Luke 23:42-43:

42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto you, Today you shall be with me in paradise.

2 Corinthians 5:1-9 explains this also, but specifically at vs 6-8:

6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

The NT Church-age saints will be the 1st to receive their immortal bodies, but the OT saints won't get theirs until the resurrection at the close of the OT dispensation [at the end of the Tribulation].

Revelation 13:17-18 "...or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

There are a "number" of theories floating around out there but the most obvious choice would be yer Socialist Insecurity Number [SIN] since all the nations of the world use it to track all of their "subjects"...

One variation is a modified, or updated, international SIN is an 18 digit number in 3 sets of 6 [666] that begins with 666- then the country code followed by the individuals personal SS number.

As to the actual "number of his name", a lot of people have conjured up contrived number systems with the English alphabet to prove that Henry Kissinger, Bubba Clinton, Obummer, and others are the AC, but they are not using the Biblical numbers.

Hebrew & Greek are 2 unique [God-given] languages that don't have numbers, so they use the letters of their alphabet as the numbers.

Just like the letters of the name of Jesus, in the Greek NT language, adds up to 888 [8 being the number of 'New beginning' or resurrection, and 3 of them shows the Trinity], so also the ACs given name will add up to 666 [6 being the number of man, and 3 of them attempting to duplicate the Trinity], in either the Greek or Hebrew.

"...or the name of the beast..."

I think the ACs birth-given name will be an actual Hebrew or Greek name but he won't be known by that name publicly except for a few of his "friends", until he's actually revealed as the AC.

I am not a disciple of Calvin or Arminius; I read in God’s inerrant Word that the Church is predestined, because of God’s Foreknowledge/ Omniscience and His ability to count outside of the restrictions of time.

‘IN’ That two letter word clearly defines WHO are the Body/Bride of Christ and why Old Testament and Tribulation Saints are NOT members of the Church. The Church consists of both Jew and Gentile believers i.e. those who believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah and accepts His free gift of Salvation from sin by God’s Grace through FAITH, not works. Eph.2:8.9.

To be a part of Christ’s Body, the Church; each ‘member’ is baptized (plunged into) the Body, at the moment of Salvation by the Holy Spirit.1Cor12:13 “For by one Spirit we were all baptized INTO one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”

Jesus had mentioned the Church in Matt16:18 but in the FUTURE tense “… I WILL build my Church. Meaning all O.T. Saints are NOT in the Church but a distinctly separate company of God’s Kingdom. This fact is important to understand WHO is involved in the Rapture.

The Church was still future tense in Acts 1:5 “…you SHALL be baptized…”.

In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit came. Clarification of what happened is inActs 11:15,16 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us AT THE BEGINNING(Acts2)16.“Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with (IN) the Holy Spirit..

Salvation is to the Jew first! During the past 2000 yrs of the ‘Church Age’ God is also ‘calling out’ members from the Gentiles. Romans 11:25 “…blindness in part has happened to Israel UNTIL THE FULLNESS OF THE GENTILES HAS COME IN. 26. And so ALL ISRAEL will be saved…27. For this is My Covenant with them, when I take away their sins”

So the Church began in Acts 2; and when God decides Christ’s Body is complete Christ, the ‘Head’ will come, in the air, FOR His Body/Bride/Church and receive ‘her’ to Himself John14:1-3;1Thess4:13-18. See Nathan’s article.

At the Rapture, the Church/Bride is complete and this finalises Christ’s Body. During the Tribulation, those who believe the Gospel of the Kingdom, are known as ‘Tribulation Saint’s/Elect. Those who are martyred will be resurrected by Jesus after the Tribulation, as a distinct group, as will the O.T. Saint’s.

Fortunately for us, we won't have to deal with the AC (assuming pre-trib view is correct, of course), so my brain won't have to hurt trying to decipher the mark of the beast. I had never heard people thought Clinton was the AC. That's pretty funny.

"By what mechanism" - pretty bad word choice. I guess I meant "when." I have a follow up question now. If teh Tribulation martyrs are not resurrected until the tribulation is over, how are they asking God "how much longer?" The article clearly states that they are in Heaven asking this question while the tribulatoin continues.

Nah, it's pretty good food for thot for some of us.. it keeps us happy with something unusual to cogitate on for a while... ;)

"The article clearly states that they are in Heaven asking this question while the tribulatoin continues."

As stated above: "All the departed souls of those who have trusted in the Lord are now in the presence of God since the resurrection of Jesus, but none of them have their immortal bodies yet." [prior to the Rapture.]

After the Rapture, as all these "newly arriving" Tribulation saints keep coming into the presence of God, they are most certainly aware that the Bride saints are now fully, and properly clothed in their Glorified Bodies, and so of course, "Lord, how long til the end of the Trib and the resurrection when we git justice, and git our garments"!!!;)

The Church is told that 'when we see Him, we will be like Him'. That is the marriage union of becoming ONE. As Christ's spouse, will have that 'knowing' advantage over the Trib. Saints.

As the Church is NOW; the Trib saints are to be robed in Christ's righteousness (the white garments) but not resurrected, so with limited knowledge. Just because their spirits are in heaven, doesn't mean they will be 'all-knowing'as God is; I doubt even the Angels know everything. imo